Ceremony Continued

  This section of the book begins with Tayo and his experiences with Leroy and Helen Jean. Right away you can tell Tayo cares for Helen Jean when he becomes very protective over her with the Mexican men in the bar. Tayo was too drunk and Harley and leroy didn't even notice Helen Jean leave but she left the bar that night with the Mexican men. Helen Jean then decides she's done with the men in Gallup and the one night stands, she wants to move on to better things. The way of life in Gallup for woman is a never ending trap and she knows that. "You can start today, but you might want to change your clothes." She went in looking for a desk and office job and was offered the janitors positions which shows how woman in Gallup were treated. These woman get hit on and mentally abused by most men because the men are desperate and usually drunk because they're always at bars. Something that really catches the readers attention is when Helen Jean decides not to leave with Isleta and Isleta says "You bitch! You think you're better than a white woman?" Thankfully the Apache at the bar stands up for Helen Jean but this part was really important. Isleta is still living in the past and his experience with Doreen when he was still a soldier and had a uniform. His PTS is making him treat Helen Jean this way because he still thinks that he's superior and can get any woman with his uniform but that uniform is no longer there. This is what happened for most Indian vets returning from war. They struggled to succeed in white america without there uniforms and that led to anger and outbreaks.

Alcohol abuse because of PTS is still very evident in this reading

Indian woman struggled even harder with equality and equal rights

   Another one of the most important parts of this reading is the story at the end. The story about the gambler is full of deeper meanings and is crucial to this book. This most Native stories it has to do with the weather and in this case the gambler kidnaps the clouds which over the years leads to drought and they get freed. The story reminds you of The Boy Who Cried Wolf and how the gambler ticks each visitor into trading all there valuables for his but he always wins. When grandson answers every one of the gamblers questions correct he gambler continues to find more questions because he never loses but this time was different. Kaup'a'ta the gambler was magical though and Sun Man knew that and was going to pretend to be dead. "My children, I have found you!" Sun Man after he cut out the gamblers eyes and unlocked the clouds. Now mother earth can thrive again and this story resembles rebirth in a sense and how the land changed. 

An idea of the rebirth of nature

Mother Nature